Graeme Souness came out to face Hibs with Rangers ‘shorts up to his neck, strolling about as if he was still in Italy’, reveals ex-Dundee United and St Johnstone star who sparked infamous sending off

Hibs v Rangers in the Easter Road end-of-summer sun will always bring back memories of one of Scottish football’s most infamous moments.

The crude off the ball stamp by Graeme Souness on George McCluskey in 1986 saw one man sent off and the other carried off.

Former St Johnstone and Dundee United midfielder, Stuart Beedie, unwittingly set in motion the notorious chain of events with a perfectly-timed tackle on the player/manager making his debut for the Ibrox side.

And Souness’s head bowed, walk of shame up the tunnel was far removed from his strut when he emerged from it.

On Graeme Souness’ 69th birthday, a reminder of his chaotic debut for Rangers vs Hibs in 1986.

Here after just 30 mins, the new player/manager is sent off for kicking out at George McCluskey, slicing open his leg in the process.

Quite the introduction.pic.twitter.com/kgUFhYPDGp

— Stu’s Football Flashbacks (@stusfootyflash) May 6, 2022

“Myself and Billy Kirkwood had just joined Hibs from United and George McCluskey had arrived from Leeds,” Beedie, whose old team face Rangers on Saturday, recalled.

“Obviously, it was Graeme Souness’s first game as Rangers player/manager.

“It was a full house at Easter Road and a really hot afternoon.

“Graeme came out with his shorts up to his neck, strolling about as if he was still in Italy.

“He just didn’t see me coming.

“I came in at his right shoulder and took him, ball, everything.

“George was unfortunately on the end of his tackle after that – actually, you wouldn’t even call it a tackle.”

Stuart Beedie gives Hibs the lead V Rangers at Easter Road in August 86 – #Hibs won 2-1. This goal asides what's your memory of Beedie? pic.twitter.com/aw6LQyBDuK

— The Hibs Are Here! Tweet Hibs 92/93 (@TheHibsAreHere) March 22, 2021

Beedie scored one of Hibs’ goals in the 2-1 Easter Road win that afternoon and would later give Souness further cause to curse him when he moved to Dunfermline.

“I didn’t see Souness after the game but I did see him a few years later,” said the title winner with Saints, Dundee and the Pars, who now lives in Australia.

“Myself and Bobby Smith were out in Edinburgh and we bumped into him.

“I beat him with Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup as well (in 1988) so he wouldn’t have liked seeing me again, I don’t suppose!”